Traveling-bag



(No Model.)

E. M,;*BARRETT.

- TRAVELING BAG.

No;532,631.' Patented Jan.15,1895.

QXh-tmem 1506M lizjaww VWT/K/Ji I m5 nonms PETERS co. Pnomuma. wwmsvon, n c.

NTTE STATES PATENT .nmoa.

ESTHER M. BARRETT, OE LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRAVELING-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,631, dated January 15, 1895.

Application filed October 19, 1894. Serial No. 526,379. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ESTHER M. BARRETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling-Bags; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to traveling bags and especially to that class of bags which are known in the art as telescopic, in that the same are composed of two separable parts each slidable on the other whereby the capacity is increased or diminished at will.

As ordinarily constructed, access to the interiorof telescopic bags is permitted onlyby the removal of the top or cover entirely from the body of the bag, necessitating also the removal of the straps which in practice encircle the bag and hold the parts together.

It is the object of my invention to produce a bag by which access to the interior may be had, without a separation of the parts, to permit the ready introduction and removal of articles which may be in constant demand, and to this end my invention consists generally in a bag provided with an auxiliary opening or openings, and a closure or closures therefor manipulated independent of the parts of the bag and the means for holding the parts in their assembled condition.

My invention also consists of, the details of construction employed, all of which will fully and clearly appear from a reading of the subjoined description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and. in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bagin a closed condition. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the bag opened, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the bag with one end closed and the other end opened.

Referring to the said drawings by letter, A denotes the body'of the bag, and B is the top or cover which is entirely removable and arranged to slide on the body in the usual manner, straps c c 0 being employed to fasten the parts together; and d is the usual handle.

In one or both ends of the upper side of the top B is made an opening 19 which for convenience in manufacture is formed by cutting out a portion of said upper side preferably rectangular in shape.

E is the cover for the opening or openings which is made from leather or other suitable material bent downward or flanged at the edges e on three sides to conform to the top B, and the other edge e is stitched or otherwise secured to the top at the inner side of the opening,in a manner to permit the cover to be raised free of the opening, with the edge e asa hinge. In order to stiffen the cover and to form a perfect dust proof closure, Isecure on the under side of the cover, the portion I) of the top which is removed to form the opening; but if desired this stiffening may be dispensed with, or if employed may be made of different material from that of the bag itself. Again,I may form in the bag top a flanged opening, and employ a hinged cover which, when in place, will lie flush with the said top; or if desired I may use a cover of the sliding type. I prefer however to employ the construction shown, which, aside from being inexpensive, is neat and renders the bag perfectly dust-proof.

f is a strap secured to the cover and which, with the buckle g on the end of the bag top, serves as a convenient means for fastening the cover in place.

The bent edges or flanges of the cover may be strengthened by metallic or other strips, and suitable metallic hinges may be employed in place of stitching the edge e.

As before stated I may provide one .or mdre openings in the bag and may locate same at different points from those shown in the d rawings, and I may also without departing from the spirit of my invention, make one or both ends of the bag top separately from the cen-. tral portion, but hinged thereto and thereby dispense with the opening or openings in the bag top.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my improved bag possesses many advantages, especially in point of convenience. The removal of the covers is but the work of an instant, and dispenses with the usual method of unstrapping and opening the entire bag when even a very small article is required to be removed or introduced. The simplicity of the invention precludes disorder, and enhances materially the attractiveness of a bag, and by my invention old bags can be remodeled at small cost, and new bags may be made at equally low cost.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A telescopic bag comprising a bag portion having an undivided interior, and a top slidable on said body and secured by straps thereto and having an opening in the upper side of each end beyond the straps, a handle connected to said top by flexible strips, and covers for said opening hinged transversely at the inner side thereof by said strips, and having flanged edges and securing means, whereby access to the Whole interior of the bag is permitted while said top is in place.

2. Atelescopicbag comprisingan undivided body portion and a top slidable on said body and secured centrally by straps thereto and having an opening in the upper side of each end beyond the straps, a cover for each opening hinged transversely at the inner side thereof and having flanged edges and securing means; and a stiffening piece secured to the under side of the cover and fitting said opening when the cover is lowered, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A telescopic bag comprising a body portion having an undivided interior, and a top slidable thereon and secured centrally by straps thereto and having an opening in the upper side of each end thereof, and a cover for each opening hinged transversely at the inner side thereof by a flexible strip, and hav ing flanged edges, a stiffening piece secured to the under side of each cover and fitting the opening, and a strap on the cover engaging a buckle on the top, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature 5 in presence of two witnesses.

ESTHER M. BARRETT. Witnesses:

J OHN W. ALEXANDER, THS. E. MIDDLEBROOKS. 

